The Baloch militants, who launched an attack on the Jaffar Express and took over 400 passengers as hostages, have released a video showing how they blew the track before taking the passengers hostage.
The video shows the Jaffar Express, traveling from Quetta to Peshawar, passing through Sibi city when a bomb blast on the track forces it to halt. The visual is believed to be the first video showing the blast on the train.
The Jaffar Express, with around 500 passengers on board in nine coaches, was travelling from Quetta to Peshawar when armed men intercepted it near the tunnel in the mountainous terrain of Gudalar and Piru Kunri on Tuesday afternoon.
The video shows a huge plume of black smoke billowing from the front coaches of the train after the blast. The Tuesday’s attack left many passengers injured, inlcuding the driver, while over 450 passengers were taken hostage.
The Pakistani security forces have killed at least 27 militants and rescued 155 passengers from the train.
बलूचिस्तान लिबरेशन आर्मी ने ट्रेन हाईजैक का वीडियो जारी किया है. वीडियो में दिखाया गया है कि BLA ने पाकिस्तान की जाफर एक्सप्रेस को कैसे हाईजैक किया. देखिए वीडियो. #PakistanTrainHijack #BLA #ViralVideo #SocialMedia #Balochistan #Pakistan #India #ABPNews pic.twitter.com/bkC30nQxPm
— ABP News (@ABPNews) March 12, 2025
The security sources said that 37 passengers were injured during the rescue operation and have been sent for medical treatment.
The Balochistan Liberation Army (BLA) has claimed responsibility for the attack. In a statement on Tuesday, the BLA warned that if the Pakistan military launches an operation, all hostages will be executed.
Bolan is a mountainous area of more than 100 kilometres between Quetta and Sibi. There are 17 tunnels in this area through which the railway track passes. The speed of trains is often slow in the area due to the difficult terrain.
The group is banned in Pakistan, the UK and the US. Balochistan has witnessed an uptick in terrorist attacks over the past year. In November 2024, at least 26 people were killed and 62 injured after a suicide blast ripped through a Quetta Railway Station. Balochistan, bordering Iran and Afghanistan, is home to a long-running violent insurgency.
